In the world of music, it's not uncommon for artists to have songs that they don't necessarily want the public to hear. These songs might be considered 'deep cuts' or 'hidden gems', often released without the artist's full approval. In this article, I'll delve into three such songs from the classic rock era, exploring the stories behind their creation and the reasons why their makers didn't want them to be heard. But, as we'll see, these songs are absolutely incredible and have become fan favorites.
One such song is 'Amsterdam' by Van Halen, a later-career hit that reached No. 9 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. However, Eddie Van Halen once admitted that he didn't like the song, calling it 'stupid'. The issue was with the lyrics, which disparaged the band's homeland in the Netherlands. Eddie blamed his struggles with alcoholism at the time for allowing the song to be recorded. But, as we'll explore, this song is a fascinating example of the band's later-career hits and has become a fan favorite despite its initial rejection by the band.
Another song that didn't quite make the cut is 'Pinball Wizard' by The Who. This song is a plot-important part of the band's legendary concept record, Tommy. However, Pete Townshend, the song's writer, admitted in the liner notes of the remastered version that it was 'the most clumsy piece of writing [he'd] ever done'. He even said that he was 'embarrassed' by it. But, as we'll see, this song is a classic rock staple and has become an iconic part of the band's legacy, despite Townshend's initial reservations.
Finally, we have 'Tear This Castle Down' by Attila/Billy Joel. This song is a very early track from Joel's time in the psychedelic rock band Attila. Joel has been known to disparage some of his earlier works, and this song is no exception. He called the project as a whole a 'colossal failure'. But, as we'll explore, this song is a fascinating example of early hard rock and has become a fan favorite, despite its initial rejection by the band.
These three songs are just a few examples of the many classic rock songs that their makers didn't want the public to hear. But, as we've seen, these songs have become fan favorites and are considered iconic parts of the classic rock era. It's fascinating to explore the stories behind these songs and the reasons why they were initially rejected by their makers. But, as we'll see, these songs have become timeless classics that continue to be celebrated by fans around the world.
